November 2023
This year was very poor in terms of travel for us – as usual, our plans got all confused and for some time we have been “lying low” in a regular “adult life” in Toulouse. With stable jobs, regular hobbies, garden and chickens. Nothing to do with our former nomadic life, when it seemed impossible to live somewhere longer than a year and a half. Is it the impact of the thirties? Whatever the reason, the folder of 2023 trips is very thin, much thinner than in 2022, although it was the most horrible year of our lives. To break the routine and spend some time together, we took a day off and went to explore some areas of our current department Haute-Garonne, which we know very little.
Rieux-Volvestre
There were only two stops on our itinerary as the days grow smaller and our primary goal was to relax and sketch together. The first one was an old town Rieux-Volvestre – a true medieval pearl! It was like seeing Toulouse many years ago, back in the days when “a big city” meant having more than two streets. We spent quite a while in this beautiful place, took our moment to sketch the Cathedral and walk through the historical points marked by the local tourism office – I wish every town had such walks for visitors.
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
Forty minutes of driving later and we came to Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges – a village that we had been looking forward to visiting for some time now! Last year we were this close to finally getting there when we stayed in Ganties, but it didn’t happen. No regrets, as November suits Saint-Bertrand perfectly. Not only is it part of our favorite list of the most beautiful villages of France (+1 in our personal list!), but it is also a very important stop for the Catholic believers and those brave people who tackle the Santiago de Compostela route.
I can’t stress enough how crucial a good food experience is for us on any trip, even if it’s just a small escapade in a neighborhood. This time we were lucky – La Table de Saint-Bertrand is an excellent address with delicious creatively served cuisine – I didn’t expect such a treat in the small village outside the tourist season. Slightly more expensive than we thought it would be, but I wouldn’t have eaten anywhere else either way.
As you can guess, over the years of regular travels in France and in Europe in general, we have seen a good lot of various cathedrals. Being more into architecture than specifically religion-related history, I suppose that we miss the grandeur and importance of this place. Still, we did appreciate it a lot. The visit of the cathedral includes a free section and the one that requires a paid entrance – we did both of them.
I wouldn’t claim that the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges (that’s the full name of this cathedral!) has completely smitten me. However, it was a very cozy, beautiful and serene moment – sometimes even the least spiritual people (like we are) can be attained by the power of the place, where people spent centuries of prayers and worship.
Outside the village walls, we walked to see the ancient Rome vestige – Lugdunum Convenarum and a bit further – Basilique Saint Just de Valcabrère. It was a beautiful autumn promenade, when sun makes everything sparkle in warm orange colors. One of the best periods to visit the Toulouse area in my opinion.
Before hitting the road back to Toulouse we made a final sketching stop at the Table d’orientation Antichan-de-Frontignes with a beautiful view of the Pyrenees. For a one-day nature escapade it was a perfect itinerary. It makes me always warm in heart to discover something new just an hour from home, when one starts to think that everything that could be seen had already been seen.
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